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JDM History

L880K · LA400K

Daihatsu Copen import cost and road tax

What a Daihatsu Copen from Japan costs by the time it’s registered here. We’ve filled in a 2014 car with the JB-DET; change the price, year and engine to match the one you’re looking at.

The winning bid or the dealer’s price, before any fees.
Month and year, e.g. 1995-03.
Duty and VAT
Change the estimates
Auction fee, agent, transport, export papers. We assume ¥150,000.
Leave blank to use our estimate for the method.
Leave blank for the rate we fetched.
Only if DVLA will accept one, from a UK or EU certificate. Most Japanese imports have none.

Every sum is worked out on our server from what you type. Nothing is saved.

Estimated cost on the road

£13,448

Car, shipping, 10% duty, 20% VAT, MOT and registration. Before insurance and road tax.

Road tax a year

£230

Age of the car

12 years

Cost breakdown
Car (price paid in Japan)Converted£7,191
Costs in Japan: auction fee, agent, transport to port, export papersOur estimate£719
Shipping to the UK: Roll-on roll-off (RoRo)Our estimateDriven onto a car carrier. Usually the cheapest. The car must run, and nothing can be left inside.£1,500
Marine insurance (1.5%)Our estimate£141
Customs duty (10%)Official rateStandard UK rate for cars from outside the UK.£955
Import VAT (20%)Official rateCharged on the customs value plus duty.£2,101
UK port handling and customs entry by an agentOur estimate£450
UK conversion work: mph speedo, rear fog lightOur estimate£250
MOT test (maximum fee)Official rateCars over 10 years old don’t need IVA, but need an MOT before registering.£55
DVLA first registration feeOfficial rate£55
UK number platesOur estimate£30
Total£13,448

How the duty choice changes the total

  • Standard rates: 10% duty, 20% VAT£13,448
  • With proof of Japanese origin: 0% duty, 20% VAT£12,301
  • Unmodified car over 30 years old: 0% duty, 5% VATNot for this car: it’s under 30 years old.–

If the car qualifies, proof of Japanese origin would save about £1,146.

Road tax: £230 a year

Taxed on engine size: 1549cc or less. With no CO2 figure DVLA accepts, which is usual for a Japanese import, a car registered after February 2001 pays the engine size rate.

2026 to 2027 rate for 12 months, paid in one go. Source: GOV.UK: vehicle tax rates, cars registered before 1 March 2001.

Customs value £9,551: the car, costs in Japan, shipping and insurance, converted at HMRC’s October 2026 rate for customs, ¥209 to £1. Duty rates checked against the UK Trade Tariff today. Lines marked “our estimate” are typical figures, not quotes: get real ones from your agent and shipper. This is a guide for Great Britain, not tax advice; Northern Ireland follows different rules. See sources.

Road tax on each engine

EngineCodesSizeA year, no CO2 figure
JB-DETL880K659cc petrol, 1549cc or less£230
KFLA400K658cc petrol, 1549cc or less£230

Japanese imports rarely come with a CO2 figure DVLA accepts, so most are taxed on engine size whatever their age. If yours has a UK or European certificate with one, put it in the calculator under “Change the estimates”. None are old enough for the historic tax class yet; that needs a car built more than 40 years ago.

Duty, VAT and the L880K’s age

Built 2002 to 2026. No L880K is 30 years old yet, so it pays the normal duty and VAT. The first ones reach 30 in 2032.

Otherwise duty is 10% of the price plus shipping and insurance, or 0% under the UK-Japan trade deal if the exporter gives you a statement on origin showing the car was made in Japan. VAT is 20% on top of both.

Cars first registered from 2017 are under 10 years old and need an IVA test (£199); older ones need an MOT instead.

How duty, VAT and road tax are worked out

Before you buy a L880K

Our Daihatsu Copen guide covers its chassis codes, known problems and what to look for on the auction sheet. Ask the seller for the sheet and read it with our auction sheet translator, then check the car’s Japanese recalls.

Questions

How much is road tax on an imported Daihatsu Copen?

Most imported L880Ks have no CO2 figure DVLA accepts, so they’re taxed on engine size: £230 a year for the JB-DET and £230 a year for the KF in 2026 to 2027.

How much is import duty on a Daihatsu Copen?

10% of the price plus shipping and insurance, or 0% with proof that the car was made in Japan under the UK-Japan trade deal. No L880K is 30 years old yet, so it pays the normal duty and VAT. The first ones reach 30 in 2032.

Does an imported L880K need IVA?

Cars first registered from 2017 are under 10 years old and need an IVA test (£199); older ones need an MOT instead.

Import costs for other models

The import cost calculator for any car

Sources

We checked every official figure against these on 23 October 2026. Shipping, agent, port and conversion costs are our own estimates of typical prices, not quotes.